Rebecca’s book came out last week and she graciously answered a few questions, so check out the interview below. Rebecca, please tell us a little about yourself! I write books about science and nature for kids. My love of nature traces back to my childhood. I grew up in the…
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Book Review – Acoustic Rooster and His Barnyard Band
Book: Acoustic Rooster and His Barnyard Band Author: Kwame Alexander Illustrator: Tim Bowers Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press, 2011 Imagine my excitement when I came across this picture book gem written by the Newbery medal-winning author Kwame Alexander. In the Q&A on his website, he mentioned it only took him two…
The Rewards of a Retreat
I recently spent two weeks at the Hambidge Center for the Creative Arts and Sciences in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains working on a project. About ten people at a time journey to Hambidge, where the staff and natural surroundings provide the peace and solitude needed to focus. Several nights…
Syncopa Practice
It’s that time of year again. My fourth grade students have learned “syncopa” or “ta-di–di” and we’re practicing it every which way. It’s a good idea to have students read it from flashcards, posters, or displayed on a projector, and I highly encourage you to use the highlighting feature if you…
Ribbon Snake Information
Here are some pictures of my “ribbon snakes.” The best way to store them is to wrap a rubber band around the end of the sticks and tuck the ribbons and all into a zipper baggie. For more information on making your own, see the previous post, Engaging Activities in…
New examples including Let Us Chase the Squirrel
Although I haven’t been writing new blog posts, there are some new visual aid examples posted including Let Us Chase the Squirrel showing only rhythms, or rhythms, solfége, and lyrics together. I also posted the rhythms of a favorite chant, Bate, Bate and a listening example with a clear high do’…
Vocal Exploration in Kindergarten
What do you do when a student can’t seem to find their singing voice? That’s the question I’ll touch on here. Besides roller coasters and imitation, singing songs with solos like Doggie, Doggie, Johnny’s It, Let’s Hide the Pumpkin, etc., can help students hear that they’re not matching. Some students…
Visual Aids and Song Choice
There are numerous sources of melodic and rhythmic examples on the internet, especially in music education blogs, but are you utilizing them and making them work for you? This post will begin a discussion about integrating technology in elementary music classes without re-creating the wheel every time. Ideally you’ll have…
Rounds for Singing and Playing
Someone recently asked if I could recommend a round for the beginning of the school year. Don’t get me started, because I could go on and on. But, the start of school is a busy time, so I’ve only had time to prepare visuals for a few: Toembai, One May…